physics

T-15 (reactor)

T-15 (reactor) is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand T-15 (reactor) rather than just read about it. In short: The T-15 (or Tokamak-15) is a Russian (previously Soviet) nuclear fusion research reactor located at the Kurchatov Institute, which is based on the (Soviet-invented) tokamak design. It was the first industrial prototype fusion reactor to use superconducting magnets to control the plasma.

Key takeaways

T-15 (reactor) belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect T-15 (reactor) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of T-15 (reactor) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The T-15 (or Tokamak-15) is a Russian (previously Soviet) nuclear fusion research reactor located at the Kurchatov Institute, which is based on the (Soviet-invented) tokamak design. It was the first industrial prototype fusion reactor to use superconducting magnets to control the plasma. These enormous superconducting magnets confined the plasma the reactor produced, but failed to sustain it for more than just a few seconds. Despite not being immediately applicable, this new technological advancement proved to the USSR that they were on the right path. In the original (circular cross-section with limiter) shape, a toroidal chamber design, it had a major radius of 2.43 m and minor radius 0.7 m. The T-15 achieved creating its first thermonuclear plasma in 1988 and the reactor remained operational until 1995. The plasma created was thought to solve a number of issues engineers have struggled with in the past. This combined with the USSR's desire for cheaper energy ensured the continuing progress of the T-15 under Mikhail S. Gorbachev. It was designed to replace the country's use of gas and coal as the primary sources of energy. It achieved 1 MA and 1.5 MW injection for 1 second pulse. It carried out about 100 shots before closing (in 1995) due to a lack of funds.

1996 upgrade From 1996 to 1998 a series of upgrades were made to the reactor, in order to conduct preliminary research for the design work on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor or ITER. One of the upgrades converted the tokamak to a D-shape divertor design with a major plasma radius of 1.5 m. ITER will also use superconducting magnets. The nuclear predecessors before such as the T-10 were capable of reaching 16.7 MK plasma temperature. This increased temperature made it possible to introduce the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR), ion cyclotron resonance (ICR), and neutral atoms, as to maintain the reactions.

Upgrade to T-15MD

In the year 2010 it was decided to upgrade the reactor. The upgraded machine is called T-15MD. On the basis of the T-15 there will be created a nuclear fusion–fission hybrid reactor, intended to use the neutrons generated by a core fusion reactor component to incite fission in otherwise nonfissile fuels, and to explore the feasibility of such a system for power generation. Assembly of the magnetic coils was finished in August 2019. As of early 2020 the status of construction was reported as "entering the final phase". At the end of 2020, preparations for the physical start-up of T-15MD were completed. The physical launch took place in May 2021 and further hardware upgrades are planned until 2024. T-15MD has a major radius R = 1.48 m and a minor radius a = 0.67 m. The toroidal magnetic field is 2 T, produced by ordinary conducting coils. The intended plasma current is 2 MA, which is planned to be sustained for 40 s with neutral particle injection and microwaves, and without using inductive current drive.

References

Further reading Josephson, P. R. (2000). Red atom: Russia's nuclear power program from Stalin to today. New York: W.H. Freeman. Effects of the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident on Utility Share Prices. Rajiv Kalra, Glenn V. Henderson, Jr. and Gary A. Raines. Quarterly Journal of Business and Economics, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Spring, 1993), pp. 52–77.

External links Kurchatov Institute T-15

Illustrations

T-15 (reactor): T-15MD vacuum vessel shell — T-15MD vacuum vessel shell

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with T-15 (reactor)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what T-15 (reactor) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to T-15 (reactor) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about T-15 (reactor) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of T-15 (reactor)

In research: T-15 (reactor) appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses T-15 (reactor) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: T-15 (reactor) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Nuclear technology in the Soviet Union, Soviet inventions, Tokamaks, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for T-15 (reactor) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study T-15 (reactor) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what T-15 (reactor) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain T-15 (reactor) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is T-15 (reactor) in simple terms?

Why does T-15 (reactor) matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study T-15 (reactor)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on T-15 (reactor).